Folks who are new to this blog might not be aware or all the Monrovia-related issues that have recently been raised here. Some of this news has been quite interesting, and quite disturbing.

The news falls into three categories:

1) The comments that have been made about Monrovia police officers by a pseudonymonous commenter. Those comments, which have been insulting and vulgar, have been definitively linked to the business office of City Councilman Tom Adams, and indirectly to the Councilman himself.

2) A semi-public, $275,000 loan the City Council made to City Manager Scott Ochoa on his home. It defies all standards for mortgage lending, especially for second mortgages, and features a remarkably low 5% interest rate which is being paid on an interest-only basis at 2%.

3) Efforts by the City Council to punish and intimidate the Monrovia Police Officers’ Association, and MPOA’s own billboard campaign to embarrass the council.

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The fire, which began on a ridge in the Phillips Ranch area overlooking houses in the 1600 block of Storrs Place, was 50percent contained by late afternoon with no flames in sight. But about 11 a.m., the scene had been more terrifying.

The blaze crackled loudly, with flames towering over homes when it began on a hill near the south side of Storrs just east of Sequoia Glen Street.

The blaze moved northwest from its ground zero, a place where residents say the tiller tractor was rolling on the hillside, cutting brush that had been growing tall and brown this spring.

Regarding Garrett’s comments, I would say that there is not a rush to comment not because no one cares, but because the fire was about ten times smaller on gentle hillsides that can easily be accessed by firefighters. That and it ended after only a few hours.

Update: Gallery of pictures from fire here.

Firefighters were sent to the 1600 block of Storrs Place shortly before 11 a.m., said Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Sam Padilla.Several blocks of homes were next to the creeping flames and while no evacuations were ordered, it was threatening homes because of the proximity, Los Angeles County fire Inspector Sam Padilla said.

Fire crews were sent to protect the houses and set up firelines around the flames that sent up layers of white smoke above acres of yellow brush that provided quick-burning fuel.

It appears they are content to employ the infamous “kitchen sink” strategy, so common these days amongst the professional politicos. The technique involves throwing everything they can at you, regardless if it is true or not, and hope that some of it “sticks”. Some of the opposition claims would have you believe that Prop 98 would;

• Gut laws that protect our air, land, water, coasts and wildlife.
• Eliminate protections related to rental deposits and vacancy notice requirements.
• Gut laws we need to combat global warming.
• Throw the elderly and students out on the street with no place to live.
• Jeopardize our ability to protect the quality of our drinking water
• Result in a huge surge of frivolous lawsuits.
• Result in higher crime.
• Prevent local cities from enacting zoning regulations

Of course, there is only problem…none of these assertions are true! As I read these various claims, I couldn’t help but ask myself - did these people even read the initiative? And then it dawned on me, of course they did, they just don’t want you to!

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Whoa Nellie!

“Rent control?”  Did somebody say “rent control?”

If you read the full text of Proposition 98, you will not find the term “rent control” used once.  Not once.  And yet, Gilman and I and everyone else here seems to agree that one of the things Proposition 98 does is prohibit rent control.

There are two possible reasons for the invisibility of “rent control”: First, perhaps the sponsors simply lack the balls to be upfront with what they are trying to accomplish.  If you’re going to prohibit rent control, say so and let the voters decide for themselves.  But they can’t do this; maybe it’s because polls have shown that Californians support rent control, and if they use the term upfront, what little chance they have at winning will go out the window.

Secondly, maybe the sponsors are applying the lessons learned from Proposition 90, which lost in 2006.  Proposition 90 would have prohibited state and local governments from condemning or damaging private property to promote other private projects or uses, AND would have limited government’s authority to adopt certain land use, housing, consumer, environmental, workplace laws/regulations.  And it’s no coincidence that the Jarvis organization was part of this effort too.  So they tweak the language and try again.

Proposition 98’s “Statement of Purpose” not only says that state/local government may not use eminent domain to take private property for another private use; it also says that state/local governments may not use “their power to take or damage property for the benefit of any private person or entity.”  So, not only can you not “take” property, you also can’t “damage” property.

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InciWeb updated its information for the Big Horn Fire yesterday. As of 6:00am Thursday, the fire had burned 420 acres. InciWeb’s map (right) shows the fire location pretty clearly with Mt. Baldy Village south of the fire and Ice House Canyon to the east.

Apparently, the fire doesn’t pose much of a real threat anymore. So, there you go.

With an economic downturn drawing more students, tough budget times driving higher fees and a need to weld California’s diverse population into an educated citizenry, community colleges need a champion who can bring people together around a new, more focused mission.

I’ve heard people worrying about “higher fees” for community college students a lot. No doubt fees are higher and have been growing in recent years. I just can’t help but ask: are they actually “high” or are the fees just growing? Let’s look at the numbers…

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Should Councilmember Steve Madison be recalled? One of my readers thinks so:

Steve Madison reeks of shear arrogance. He should either vacate his seat or a recall petition should be started. City council is supposed to be a “part-time” position though it really is more of a full-time commitment and he can’t even honor that. PATHETIC. How can anyone of at least average intelligence even consider Madison as a possible viable mayoral contender. He may contend but he won’t give the time commitment that is required. Bottom line is this, If he can’t make council meetings due to his workload how the hell is he ever going to put in the time required to be an effective Mayor. The Mayor of Pasadena is not a part-time job.

More here.

- AP

A deeply divided California Supreme Court said Thursday that California’s ban on gay marriage is not legal, a move that sent off wild cheers and celebration in San Francisco but one that will face new fights from opponents of same-sex marriage.

Under court rules, the ruling does not take effect for 30 days, lawyers involved in the case said, and opponents of gay marriage said they would ask the court to stay its decision pending an expected vote by the public in November.

“It benefits no one to redefine marriage for three to four months,” said Folsom attorney Andrew P. Pugno of ProtectMarriage.com, who said he would seek a stay while pursuing an initiative to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.

I’ll be interested to see how our state legislators (Portantino et al)  react to the decision.